Persistence required for polio eradication

Today is World Polio Day. Perhaps you wonder: Why is this disease so important that it deserves a special day to attract everybody's attention?

Actually, because polio is a disease that has almost been eradicated, it is important to all of us. So far, the only human disease ever eradicated is smallpox, but we are close to eradicating polio next, provided we take this effort seriously.

What would be the benefit of eradication? For one, we can stop polio immunization, which would save money and effort for all countries. The cost of the polio vaccine itself is relatively cheap, but the cost of administering vaccines for all infants is high. I estimate that the annual cost of polio immunization in China exceeds 700 million yuan ($110 million) every year. There is also a hidden cost people may not be aware of, which is that the vaccine can have severe adverse consequences for a very small number of infants, perhaps one in a million. This problem will also go away once we eradicate polio and the use of the polio vaccine can be stopped.